Silverdapple
by V. Thomas
Summary: Now, while some litters are more important than others, Silverkit was born into a very average litter. She was not the daughter of a leader or deputy, or even the grandaughter of such a cat. No, she was the only daughter of Mintfrost and Emberspark, two SkyClan warriors.


**This story was, I believe, requested, by Silverdapple of the Warrior Cats Forum. I no longer possess the information given to me, but give all character credit to Silverdapple.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Warriors series.**

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In the long moons after SkyClan regrouped in the gorge, they prospered in a way their warrior ancestors had been unable to. Time and time again, they battled disease and the rats the often brought it. They found hope in the most unlikely places, and they taught litter after litter of kits.

Now, while some litters are more important than others, Silverkit was born into a very average litter. She was not the daughter of a leader or deputy, or even the grandaughter of such a cat. No, she was the only daughter of Mintfrost and Emberspark, two SkyClan warriors.

Mintfrost, her mother, was a pale grey she-cat with white paws and warm green eyes who was fiesty and witty. She also gave birth to Owlkit in the same litter as Silverkit, and her son became more like her than her daughter did. Ashcreek, their older brother, was already a warrior, but both he and their father visited the nursery frequently the new-leaf Silverkit and Owlkit were born.

"He's a fighter," Mintfrost would purr as she nudged Owlkit close to her belly, his coppery-brown fur appearing in sharp contrast with his mother's pelt. Then the queen would pull her daughter close, meowing, "And she's a peacemaker."

Emberspark, the peacemaker himself, always rumbled his agreement, especially when his kits tumbled around with the younger apprentices. It amused him, how Owlkit would challenge Wildpaw, Thrushpaw, and Shadepaw all at once, but Silverkit would hang back and cheer her brother on instead.

Often, Emberspark tried to persuade her to join in, but the little she-cat usually refused. She would assure her father that Owlkit was doing fine alone. Never would Silverkit mention that she didn't think she'd be any good at all, even in a play fight. She kept her doubts to herself, only to forget them when a leaf drifted past her nose and she raced after it.

When Silverkit became Silverpaw, she immediately began to train with Shadepaw, a spritely black and white she-cat with whom Owlpaw liked to spar with as well. Shadepaw helped Feathermoon, Silverpaw's mentor, bring the dappled silver and white cat out of her shell a little.

"You could be something!" she encouraged her younger friend. "A deputy, a leader! You just need to go for it!" Silverpaw liked to shake her head at this. She didn't believe she could do it, but she kindly tolerated Shadepaw's enthusiasm.

Wildpaw and Thrushpaw, Shadepaw's brother and sister, were just as enthusiastic about helping Silverpaw break out of her comfort zone. Even after the three of them bcame warriors, they involved themselves deeply in Silverpaw's training. This may have been the reason Owlpaw drifted apart from his sister. He needed attention too, but he just couldn't seem to get it from anyone but his mother and his mentor, Mallowpelt.

The night Owlpaw and Silverpaw became warriors, she tried to ask why he wouldn't talk to her. She did not receive a response, and Owlpaw became Owlshadow without a word to her. He didn't even cheer as she was christened Silverdapple, and their vigil was frosty in spite of the unusually warm new-leaf night.

"He'll grow up," Wildfire assured her nonchalantly. Silverdapple took comfort in the ginger tom's words, and she might have been spurred to take action by them as well.

Following her ceremony, Silverdapple devoted herself to SkyClan in the only way she saw fit: She begged Stormstar to let her take on an apprentice.

"I can hunt and fight and teach a 'paw to do the same!" she explained in a quiet voice that was filled with determination. Stormstar had been taken aback by her sudden request, but he granted it, promising that, when Pineleaf's kits were old enough to be apprenticed, she would be a mentor.

Shortly before she took on an apprentice, her father died from an infected wound. He had fallen out of a tree while hunting, and had crashed down onto some rather sharp boulders, opening his shoulder. Ashcreek had been with him, and the pale grey tom took a turn for the worse. He moped around for days on end, until he finally talked to Silverdapple. He firmly informed her that he was going to become a medicine cat. It seemed right, according to him.

Silverdapple didn't go against this. She actually agreed with her older brother. He had always struck her as the type to become a medicine cat in the end. She encouraged him to speak with Redwhisker about an apprenticeship, and even Owlshadow joined in, as frosty as he was to his sister.

The afternoon that Stormstar announced Ashcreek's decision to the whole Clan, he also called four excited bundles of fur forward. Pineleaf's kits were apprenticed to Silverdapple, Mintfrost, Smokefur, and Spidernose. Silverdapple was to mentor the timid tom named Greypaw.

During their training sessions, she discovered that she had a talent for mentoring. She drew Greypaw out of his shell faster than Shadefeather had done for her, and he evolved into a confident young warrior. By the time he was named Greystorm, Silverdapple was ready and willing to take on another apprentice. However, one thing stood in her way.

She was expecting kits.

Over the six or so moons in which she had mentored Greystorm, she and Wildfire had somehow grown inseparable. Yes, they had fought more than a few times over little things, but they always seemed to let it go. After going through this for a while, Wildfire confessed that he loved her, and he was completely shameless about it. Silverdapple, feeling the same, was delighted to know that, a moon or so later, she was carrying his kits.

"Silverdapple, where are you going?" Wildfire had to ask one day when she was trotting up to Stormstar's den, belly swollen with their kits. She responded simply by telling him that she wanted another apprentice. Her mate had to chuckle and remind her that she was pregnant. Mentoring an apprentice was not an option at that moment.

"Oh," she'd meowed with a laugh. She'd just been distracted, it seemed.

Half a moon later, the kitting went smoothly with the assistance of Redwhisker and Ashcreek. Silverdapple gave birth to three healthy kits, three she-cats. With Wildfire's insight, the ginger she-cat became Russetkit, the black and silver one Frostkit, and the solid black one Blackkit. They were all energetic and they demanded every ounce of their mother's energy. She was glad to see them apprenticed, but proud as well. Besides, she could return to her warrior duties. What was there to be sad about?

There was something.

The deputy, Hollowfoot, died the greenleaf following Silverdapple's kits' apprenticeships. He had fallen in the river in the gorge and the current had slammed him into a rock, breaking his neck and killing him instantly. Pineleaf, his mate, had discovered him lying broken on the shore, and had raised the first heartbroken yowls. Stormstar was quick to reassure the she-cat that her mate was in StarClan, and then he had a hurried council with his senior warriors regarding the identity of the new deputy. Silverdapple was the popular choice, and she was named deputy before moonhigh, as the code dictated.

Surprised but determined to do well, Silverdapple had been praised extensively by Shadefeather. There were more than a few laughing, "I told you so!"s exchanged. Mintfrost, who had been trying to bolster Owlshadow's spirits ever since he had felt neglected, tried to get her son to forgive his sister, but he refused, and spent the night out of camp. Unable to do anything about this, Mintfrost congratulated her daughter on the deputyship and then retired to her nest.

Silverdapple herself tried to mend her relationship with her brother, but it was Russetpaw who managed it in the end. The ginger she-cat had marched right up to her uncle and demanded what was wrong with Silverdapple. Taken aback, the copper warrior fumbled with a response, and then was forced to admit that there was nothing wrong with her. It was him, and he apologized later that day.

For almost six seasons, SkyClan life went smoothly. Mintfrost retired to the elders' den, saying she had served her Clan long enough to earn her keep. Kits were born to Shadefeather and her mate, Spidernose, and Puddlekit, Owlshadow's son, became Puddlepaw. Russetpaw was Russetfang, Blackpaw Blackpool, and Frostpaw Frostmoon in honor of Feathermoon. This was a suggestion made by Silverdapple, and Stormstar was happy to accept it.

However, near the middle of the sixth season, a chilly leaf-fall, the rats returned. They had been absent from the gorge for many moons, but they were back with a vengeance. Silverdapple discovered them on a hunting patrol. The scent was unfamiliar to her, so she approached it, seeing as it smelled vaguely of prey. This was her downfall.

Having left her patrol for just a moment to investigate the strange scent, she was quickly overcome by a horde of rats. At first, she was able to defend herself, but as more and more came, she was overpowered. Even when her patrol ran towards her cries, she was a goner.

The patrol was able to dispatch most of the rats, and when they did this, they found Silverdapple in the dust, dead, and they brought her back to camp on their backs, heartbroken with her loss, but proud to have had her as a deputy.

Silverdapple, in StarClan, watched her vigil alongside Emberspark, who curled his tail protectively over her shoulder. He was as proud as any of his former Clanmates, and as selfish as it was, he was glad to have his daughter with him.

"I'll miss them," Silverdapple meowed solemnly.

"You will," Emberspark agreed. Then they held a vigil of their own, to honor SkyClan as a whole. Nothing broke the silence except for the sound of a few rats squealing their final cries.


End file.
